


That Line or Two Past Friendship

by annieke



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Black Friday, Developing Relationship, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Fun, M/M, New Year's Eve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-12
Updated: 2015-01-12
Packaged: 2018-03-07 05:41:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3163331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annieke/pseuds/annieke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Easy. Go in. Buy the TV. Get out.<br/>So why, then, is Danny still waiting in front of the store with a giant TV in a wobbly cart and no ride home?<br/>Why is Chin even here, and how did get a parking spot, much less in the front row--and just where in the hell is Steve?<br/>In other words:<br/>"How the hell could you get shot, in a parking lot, going Christmas shopping! I don't get it, I don't. I really don't. What did you do, huh?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Line or Two Past Friendship

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this is definitely a few weeks past when I wanted it to post, but hopefully, it won't matter.
> 
> So, I got the idea for this from the general craziness of holiday shopping, plus this article that I'd read and posted quite a while ago on my LJ (one of the few things I've ever posted there) because, really, I think it's just so Steve in RL... 
> 
> [here](http://annieke.livejournal.com/7669.html)
> 
> Of course, this is twice as long a fic as I'd intended to write.  
> I absolutely need to learn to write some shorter stories :)
> 
> Hope you enjoy, really.  
> It's fluffy and, I hope, a fun and entertaining distraction, too.

That Line or Two Past Friendship

 

Danny groans out, "I can't move," and Steve can't help but smile over at him as Danny's lying on the rug, eyes closed, pants undone and half grinding his head and shoulders into the carpet as if trying to settle down into a pillow.

"Can't get comfortable, either. Your floor is hard."

"Yeah, well. It's a floor."

Another groan. "Not moving. I can't. Ever again—never." Now his arms and legs are spread eagle, and it's all Steve can do not to laugh.

So he does.

"You're laughing. Thank you so much. I'm truly suffering here, and you laugh. How incredibly not at all sympathetic of you."

Steve laughs again as he wipes the rest of the wreckage off the table. It looks like a Thanksgiving explosion. Turkey and stuffing shrapnel are strewn along a cranberry sauce minefield. He licks a streak of whipped cream off his thumb and glances back to Danny on the floor. "Nobody told you to go back for thirds."

"Oh, right. Like I even had a choice. Not my fault your Aunt Deb can cook like that." 

Danny's words are getting more and more slurred, and there's a half-effort wave of a circling hand. Food drunk, Steve thinks, and grins at just how very Danny that seems.

"Thank you, Danny," Deb calls out from the kitchen. She takes the last of the dessert plates from Steve and nods toward the pseudo corpse in the other room. "Go. Sit. Leonard and I have this."

"No, I'll do the rest of the dishes. You should—"

"No, honey." She beams a smile that reminds him of his dad. "Really. I'm happy to do the dishes to help and besides, these are the last of them. You go have fun with your guests."

"Guests? There's no—everyone left a half hour ago. It's just Danny out there."

"Oh, I know," she says and oh, god, was that a wink? She did not just wink at him about Danny. Shoves him toward the living room. "We're finishing up in here, you go have fun with your Danny."

"My Danny? He's not my—"

The look she sends him makes his stomach flip—and flip again when she laughs. At him.

"Steve, you do know I've known you for, well, your whole life, right? When I say he's yours, I think I know what I'm talking about." She's staring right at him, head tilted in that expression she'd send to him when he was a little boy that says of course she knows he took cookies from the cookie sheet because there's chocolate written all over his face. "Pretty sure you know what I'm talking about, too."

Part of his gut twists for a second with the realization that she's read him like there actually is visible chocolate evidence, but then he smiles and tries to ignore the sudden feeling of suffocation because yeah, he does know. Knows exactly. Not like he and Danny have done much but scratch the surface on whatever the hell this is between them, but clearly Deb's picked up on whatever it is that they exude that others always seem to immediately sense.

Heads out to Danny in the other room. Danny, who has his eyes closed and is still making little moaning noises and yeah. okay. Danny really needs to stop doing that. It's doing things to points south. Good things, but now's not the time to push the edges of the envelope. Right?

His Danny.

His Danny, who's staring up at him with heavy lidded eyes from where he's still sprawled all over the floor and looking very post food-orgasm happy which just sends another heated charge right through Steve's dick.

"Hey," Danny says with a finger wave. "Guess I should be heading home."

Funny how those words shoot a pang of something right through him, something that wipes out the stirring lust to leave a different sort of tension. He doesn't want Danny to leave.

Yes, they've just started venturing into something a step or two past the line of close friendship. A kiss or two past that line—a brief kiss that was a definite prelude to more, Steve knows. Yes, it has taken them far too long to reach this point given the months—no, years— that's lead to them finally and literally reaching out for one another…

But god, between ex-wives and former girlfriends and general denials all around, not like this was an easy place to get to….and now that they're both here, on the same page, they've been taking it slow. Very. 

"Don't go. You can stay here."

"Here."

"Here." Smiles.

"Steve." Danny gives a slight nod toward the kitchen. "Not sure now's the best time."

He keeps on smiling past the tightening in his stomach. "What? Now's the perfect time. Right? I mean, Grace is with Rachel and Stan until they fly back on Sunday, and while I'm sorry she wasn't here with us—"

Which Danny handwaves away. "It's okay. I get her for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning this year, so—"

"So, I want you to stay and besides. You've been drinking. Eating and drinking. A lot." He laughs again. "A whole lot."

There's a long pause where they just lock eyes until Danny says, the slight wariness in his tone not very well disguised. "Well, I am kinda tired, so if you're sure and all."

Steve's head is spinning and he feels lightheaded which is hilarious because, well, because he's not eighteen years old, for shit's sake. But right now, there's nothing he wants more than Danny wanted to stay and push those envelope edges. Tries for casually direct here. "Sure. I'm sure. I'm very sure. Very."

"Okay, well then, as long as you're sure," Danny breathes out on a laugh, eyes closing again as he seems to melt into the rug. "But look…I think we're sleeping here." He's patting the rug. "Right here. On the floor—your very hard floor because I can't get up." Laughs again. "Or…not that I mean that in, you know, the can't get _it_ up kind of way, but just the get up in general way and…wow. Is it hot in here? I'm feeling kind of…" another hand wave and it's nice to know Danny's riding along a line of nerves as well. "I just…think your aunt's pie did me in."

"The pie." Because it sounds more like the thought of them together is getting to Danny in the same way it's getting to him, and that sends a huge wave of relief down to cool his own fraying nerves. 

"Oh, yeah." Danny lightly pats his stomach. "Oh my god, I'm so stuffed."

Steve shakes his head. "You didn't have to inhale all that—"

"You know I love you for it, Danny," Deb calls out and Danny just grins up at Steve.

Danny points toward the kitchen. "She loves me."

Steve can't keep the smile off his face as he teases out, "Lord knows, somebody needs to." This—this feels good. Right. A far cry from the last couple of months of misery both he and Danny have traveled through to get to this point. 

"Hey. I'll have you know I'm very loveable."

"You're something, I'll give you that."

Danny's grinning now, too. "Oh, trust me. Once I can get up and move again, you're going to give me a lot more than—" Stops speaking at the ring of his phone, one finger raised as pulls it from his pocket. "Kono, hey!"

They're talking, Steve hears Danny asking how the huge Kalakaua Thanksgiving gathering went. How Chin is, then tunes out as he heads to the kitchen to lend a hand to anything that still needs to be done, backing up as Deb and Leonard come striding out.

"We're done, honey. You're all put away in there."

"Deb, you didn't have—"

"Of course I was going to help—and I wanted to, really." She wraps a hand around his arm and a swell of absolute love for this woman rises inside; he can't begin to think of losing her. "Leonard and I are heading out now, though. It's been a lovely day, we ate too much, but we thoroughly enjoyed you and all your friends, those alive and those not as much," she says with a laugh and a nod toward Danny still sprawled over the rug.

"You did me in, Deb. It's all your fault," Danny calls, rolling to move to his knees.

"Don’t get up, Danny. I'll just blow you a kiss from here, really."

Steve walks them to the door, gives Leonard a handshake and his aunt a hug. "Thank you for everything. Means a lot to have you here. Both of you."

"Oh, we wouldn't be anywhere else right now," she says, turning to look at Leonard who's now making his way to toward the car. "I'm happy, you know, Steve. I really am."

"I'm glad."

She gives his arm another squeeze. "You should be happy, too." Spares a glance toward the open front door. "With whomever you choose to find happiness with." She doesn't let him reply, just leans in for a quick kiss and then is off, calling back with a laugh. "Leonard wants us to take hula lessons. I think he may be out of his mind!"

It's hard not to laugh with her, and he watches and waves to her as she waves from the car as they drive away. Mary and Aunt Deb. They're his entire family now, and—

"Hey. Tomorrow, we're going shopping." Danny's come up behind him, his voice near Steve's ear and he then feels fingers trail along the small of his back as Danny leans in a bit.

"Shopping?"

"Yeah."

Shakes his head because, well, "I'm not going shopping."

"Yeah, you are. We are. Shopping for Kono."

"We already have a Kono."

"Oh, hah—but no, smartass," Danny says and moves back in the room to sit on the couch, sliding down so he's practically, but not quite, lying flat, and the little grunt he releases as he does so makes Steve smile. "She wants to get a flat screen for Adam for Christmas but they're tied up with family stuff all day tomorrow or something, so she asked if we would go pick it up to get the good deal." Shifts again. "God, I'm like overfull. Uncomfortably full."

"Shopping."

"Yeah. Shopping."

"Tomorrow?"

Danny's staring at him, head cocked a bit and looking at him askance, and Steve knows he's going to give in, damn it.

"What's with you? Yes. Shopping. Tomorrow. Black Friday—it's deal day, remember?"

Oh, yeah. Steve knows. Takes pride in having never participated in any of the day after Thanksgiving shopping insanity. Ever, ever, ever. "No."

"No? You did not just say 'no'."

He can feel Danny's eyes locked on him but he's not going to look at him replies, "Well, yeah. I think I just did." Then turns to find Danny sending him that squinty-eyed glare that is just going to get worse as the conversation progresses, he knows this. So knows this. "No, Danny, listen—I'm don't, I'm not—can't—I—"

Now Danny's sitting back, arms crossed and Steve can feel his own resolve slipping with each perfectly aimed glare...aaand Danny's now pointing a finger at him, too. Great. This is just great.

"Okay, you? Are sadly mistaken, my friend. You are going."

"No, I'm not."

"I need your truck."

"Take my truck. You can have it. No problem."

And the frowning's getting worse. "Yeah, okay, that's great, Steve, really. Thanks—but I need you to be _in_ the truck. You have to come with me."

"Nooo."

"Yesss…"

"No. Really, I don't, Danny."

"Oh, really, you do, _Steven_."

"Won't." 

"Will."

He's losing this argument. Can feel it slipping through his fingers. "God, Danny, I just really don't want—"

"Hey. Steve. Look, I need you there. I need your truck to carry the thing in, and I need you to help me get the thing to your truck."

"Shopping."

"Black Friday shopping, and haven't we just cycled through this?" Danny's making circular motions with his pointer finger and Steve can feel his protests dying with every turn.

"Oh my god, Danny." Steve rubs a hand over his face, and for the love of god, he does not want to do this. "Please don't make me do this."

There's a long pause—a really long pause during which Steve pretty much braces himself for the inevitable, and there it is. Danny bursts into laughter. Loud, uproarious laughter that is totally and completely uncalled for. It's all Steve can do not to punch him. 

In between laughs, Danny's spluttering, "Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea how many times I've actually uttered those exact words to you? Words you ignore constantly, I might add." He's staring him down. "Quit fucking with me. You are going."

Steve drops his head into his hands and tries to shake off the feeling of dread. Hates shopping. Hates it so much, and then Danny goes and says it, and that is it. Steve knows he's got no other choice.

"I mean, Steve. Come on—this is for Kono. Do it for her."

One of his hands is fisted so tightly it's cutting into his palm, and he lets it unclench, stretching his fingers and trying to relax. Sighs, because yes, damn it. Yes. He knows he's going to do it. He's going shopping. On Black Friday. "I know I'm going to regret this, but, yeah. Fine."

"Okay?"

"Okay, fine."

"Fine. Fine as in yes-fine? Or fine as in…"

"Yes, okay? I'll go already," Steve says and stares at Danny, then holds up a hand to stave off comments he knows will be thrown his way. "But we are not going to any big box store."

"Oh, right, of course we're not. Because I suppose you have some island-dealer who offers amazing prices on giant televisions?''

"I know a couple places."

"You know a couple—okay, no. No." Danny's sitting on the edge of his seat and Steve can feel this ship sinking with every sniped word. "Listen to me. This particular big box store has exactly what Kono wants. She's already scoped it out and if she says it's the best deal, then it's the best deal."

"Danny—"

"No. Just no. Do not even." Now Danny's smirking at him. "Listen to me. We go in, we buy, we leave. In and out. A simple, clean extraction. I know you get that concept."

He can't help but smile…at Danny giving that example and…

"You're smirking. Why are you smirking?"

At this: "Your pants are undone."

A beat wherein Danny blinks up at him, then, "My pants—my pants are undone because I've eaten more than I've ever eaten ever. Ever. Between too much food and too much wine, I'm too full and too tired and we need to get up early to get a good start on—Hey, are you listening to me here? You are not listening. Focus." Danny says with a snap of fingers.

"Oh, I'm focused." And done talking about shopping.

Danny scoffs. "You're focused. We're talking about shopping for Kono's gift for Adam and you are definitely not—okay. What are you doing? Hello? Are we still talking about shopping?"

Steve can feel his dick swell from just looking at that little parting of khaki fabric, and he's shaking his head as he drops down onto his knees next to the sofa. Amazing how quickly his mind and body decided to push that envelope to this edge. "We're so not talking about shopping, Danny, but I am thinking about maybe giving you an early present."

Danny's smiling now, shifting around as he scoots lower onto the sofa. He does sound sleepy. It's really kind of sexy, Steve thinks.

"A present. That's nice. You really wanna give me something?"

"Yeah, I think I do."

"Okay. You know what you can give me? Peace of mind, that's what. That's all I want. Give me that, okay? Give me that and it'll be the best Christmas ever."

"Just that?" His hands are lightly rubbing along Danny's thighs, thumbs pressing firmly as they head toward Danny's zipper, and he pulls it the rest of the way open. Lets his hand splay flat against the warmth of Danny's lower abdomen, slips his hands under Danny's boxers and plays his fingers through the golden hair there. Leans up to lick a light trail over the skin of Danny's neck, pinning him against the sofa with his own weight as he whispers softly, "Is that really all you want from me?"

They've been leading to this point for a while now—okay, pretty much since the day they met if he's being completely truthful with himself—with the heat between them igniting ten-fold these past few weeks. And suddenly, Danny sitting there with his pants undone and bitching about shopping in that too-much-food-and-drink roughened voice…  
Who knew what a turn on that would be? He can't resist.

Danny's got his eyes closed and Steve can feel as well as hear Danny's softly rumbled reply as he maps his tongue around Danny's ear. 

Danny's breathing is heavy, broken by a slight hitch and words trailing along on a slowly drawn out moan. "Ah, no. No, I think I…pretty sure I can think of things you can give me that might be kind of…unh, yeah, that feels good…"

"Kind of…?" Steve prompts because he really wants to know.

He can feel Danny smile against his cheek as Danny seems to breathe out the words, "Kind of…you know, festive."

The snort that erupts from Steve is loud and wet, and it makes him laugh even harder.

"Ew," Danny barks. "Seriously? You did not just spit in my ear." He's up on an elbow, one hand wiping against his ear. 

"Sorry, just—" Steve laughs again as he shifts lower and pulls Danny's hand away. "Here. Settle down and let me…"

"Lick," Danny adds as Steve does just that, and then hands begin to roam. His hands, Danny's hands. "Steve, god. Feels—do that again, that feels so—"

"Festive?" Can't help but snort at that.

"How are you so annoying. C'mere," Danny says, hands tugging at his collar and pulling and Steve helps along as Danny's trying to get him to peel off his shirt. Then Danny's fingers trace along his now bared chest, tickling across his nipples and the little squeak they hear definitely did not come from him. Never.

"That was a fun noise." Danny's grinning up at him, eyes all crinkly and bright. "Look at you. Holidays are just starting and you're already settling into Scrooge mode, aren't you? Scrooge McGarrett."

"Nah, I like Christmas just fine," Steve says, shifting again so they're pretty much lying hip to hip and then he's curling down some to align their mouths. "Like everything about it. All the lights, the bows. The wrapping. The _un_ wrapping…" Delves in deep where Danny's mouth is warm and wet and slick and still somewhat sweet from pumpkin pie. "Sights and sounds…the taste, god the taste…"

"So all the festivities, then?"

"Each and every one." He means it, too. Sharing this Christmas with Danny by his side in more ways than they've ever celebrated before is exactly what will make this holiday perfect.

"Mmm. Oh, see…that's…yeah…"

He's licking a trail down Danny's chin and neck and, okay, so Danny does still sound a bit groggy around his edges—half asleep—but the man's body is completely awake if his erection is any way to measure. It's a heavy weight that Steve curls his hand around, salty and bittersweet when he dips down to taste.

Danny shifts up, back arching slightly and Steve pushes Danny's shirt up as he presses him back down, teeth lightly tracing a hardened nipple while his hand continues to work Danny's length. Feels so good to get hands on him. Finally.

"God, Steve, I can't…that's…just…so really very…"

Makes Steve smile, that he can render Danny so word-stupid, a feat in its own right. It takes just a little more working, a little more licking, tonguing, stroking and Danny's coming hard and fast with little more than a barely squeaked out, "Steve, I'm gonna—" as a warning before he explodes.

Been a while since Steve's done this, much less actually swallowed, and it takes a minute to get his head wrapped around what just happened—and with whom. Oh, god, did this just happen?

"Danny—"

Who breathes out a long, "Steve," followed by a few incoherent mumbles followed by a soft snore. Out like a light. 

Steve takes a second to watch him, their faces inches apart. Whispers, "Danny?"

He's gone.

Pushes up to sit and shift and shakes his head as he grabs the throw from the back of the sofa and spreads it over his…what? Partner? Lover? Friend? All those things, he thinks as he's kicking back against the other end of the sofa, pillow at his back and settling in next to the only person he wants at his side. He's asleep in seconds.

**

There's coffee in his nose. Well, under. The scent, anyway, and Danny opens one eye where he lies face down, face smashed on…where? Ah, Steve's sofa. Rubs fingers over what feels like deep grooves in his cheek from the couch, awareness slowly taking hold.

Thanksgiving. Food, wine. Pie.

Coffee. 

Shifts to sit, wipes at the line of drool on his lip, and there's an ache in his neck from sleeping crooked. He can't turn his head to the right without a tight pinch spearing him there. Steve is sprawled in the chair next to him, just watching, apparently, and Danny assures himself that it's not at all weird as he raises the steaming mug in thanks. "Oh, hot." His lip feels burned. "Geeze, warn a guy next time."

"Careful, it's hot," Steve says.

Danny's all but poured onto the sofa feeling a bit like the end result of a hangover, but he knows he didn't have all that much wine. His fingers fumble under the blanket and he realizes—remembers as he realizes—he has no pants on. Pants and boxers are tumbled together in a pool of confusion at his feet.

"Oh." Looks over at Steve who's looking back, eyebrows high. 

"Yeah." Steve looks somewhat smug and yet also definitely unsure. It's an odd combination.

"I fell asleep." Okay, obviously, but he's not sure exactly what to say, and Steve doesn't look like he's entirely convinced that what happened was a good thing. "Sorry."

"It's okay."

"Yeah," he nods, and they stare at one another for a moment longer than usual. There's a light degree of anxiousness floating around them that's not usually there. "So, ah…you okay?"

Steve nods. "I'm good. You?"

Danny nods, too. "I'm good, too."

"That's good."

Aggravating, really. Stunted Steve, Danny hasn't seen him for a while. "So, we're good, then." This should not be this difficult, Danny thinks. Not like this wasn't exactly where they'd been headed, and they both know it. "That was good. I'm sorry I feel asleep, though."

Steve sends him a grin. A grin that is suddenly lined with not just a small rim of lasciviousness; Steve's eyes are dark and suddenly lust-filled and that just shoots a heated fire through Danny's dick—oh, hell, yes—he'll have to keep in mind that Steve is clearly all about morning sex…

and then Danny glances at the clock. "Oh, shit. We gotta get going!" Bursts off the couch with the blanket around him because just waving free in front of Steve is, apparently, something his subconscious isn't quite yet prepared to experience. He bends down to shake out his boxers. They're inside out and hopelessly twisted and he's trying to get them right, all the while thoughts of horrific crowds and no available parking filling his head.

"Danny, relax," Steve tells him. "Let me make you breakfast first. Not like the store's going to close or anything. We've got all day."

"All day. You clearly haven't been Black Friday shopping, have you?" How the hell did his shirt get shoved so far under the sofa?

Steve's hand comes to rest on his shoulder, and he turns to find the man hovering over him, their mouths just inches apart. They kiss, and Danny sighs against Steve's lips.

This. This is how it should be.

"Good morning," Steve breathes out all minty and obviously freshly brushed, and Danny wonders just how long Steve has been up and watching him drool all over his leather sofa. Long enough to have showered and shaved. Brushed his teeth. He looks great. Amazing. Hot. 

Which just makes Danny think he wants nothing more than to slide his body down Steve's. Really. The image is filling his head and he's half-hard just thinking about nestling into all that muscle and skin, and he'd throw Steve to the rug in a second except…except…

"Oh my god. We're never going to get a parking spot."

Steve just stares at him and for a split second Danny feels just terrible. They've finally pushed past the point of just thinking about being together—having now actually started something, and Danny's pulling the plug before the water even begins to think about boiling. Whatever the hell that means, he thinks.

"I'll make it up to you. Promise," he says and sees Steve relax some. "Really. I'll even give you the Danny special."

"Danny special? Okay, then." Steve's back to grinning, and it's surprising how that makes Danny feel. Happy. He feels happy.

Finishes dressing and heads to the bathroom to use a little mouthwash. He can shower and all later. Needs to focus. Shopping for Kono and maybe another something else for Grace.

After downing the rest of his coffee, he and Steve head out, and he's not going to dwell on how unkempt he feels. He climbs up into the behemoth that is Steve's truck, and clearly Steve is a little less focused on the mission at hand.

"So, the Danny special. Is the success rate of that anything along the lines of that Jersey slip of yours?"

"Okay." Like they haven't been through this before a bazillion times, only back then he'd thought Steve was annoyed with Lori being in his hotel room because Steve had an interest in Lori, not because Steve had been interested in him. "One time. One time, years ago, it didn't work and you still won't let that go. Lori in my hotel room was never my intent, you know this. Besides, we all know Lori was hot for teacher." Like that hadn't been apparent to everyone except Steve at the time.

"You were handcuffed to her. It made me kind of nuts."

"You're always nuts." That entire episode reads completely different to him now that he has hindsight on his side. Ridiculous it took them both years to finally act on the attraction between them. "And it was only for a few minutes, anyway. I wanted them off. You unlocked Lori, but then you decided to throw away the key!"

"Maybe I just like the way you look in handcuffs," Steve says with a longer than brief glance.

"Watch the road." He lets his eyes linger on Steve's profile. "Handcuffs, huh?" he smirks. "Guess you may like the Danny special, then." Let the man chew on that little tidbit for a few hours.

"Danny Williams. Never knew you were such a tease."

"Not me," and he's still staring at Steve, who seems to be almost squirming. This is fun. "Just cluing you in to the facts, that's all. I'm pragmatic that way."

Steve's grinning like hell and steps on the gas as they head down the highway. "We go in. We buy. We get out."

"Exactly," Danny agrees, laughing.

"Exactly."

**

It's packed, the shopping center. There's no parking. There's no sign of parking. There's not even any remote chance of an open spot. Can't even drive down most of the lanes as they're full of cars waiting for open spots. People are rushing into the place, no one seems to be walking out. 

It's a nightmare, and Steve already feels the first tremors of a frenetic dread quivering below his skin. This is not going to be fun. "We should have waited 'til later."

"Shut up. We're here. In and out. It's all good."

Steve points in the general direction of, well, everything. Leave it to Danny to think this will be easy. "In and out? Are you kidding me? You can't even get near the place! I can just imagine what the lines are like inside." Adds, "No, wait. I don't even want to know what it's like in there."

"You're being negative."

"I'm being…?" This is crazy. "Danny. Look around. This is insanity."

"It's fine."

"It's not fine!"

"You need to calm down. This is normal."

There are throngs of people. Cars everywhere. The parking lot is a lock, and the place's perimeter road is bumper to bumper. "This is not normal."

Danny frowning at him. "It's Christmas shopping normal. This is what it's always like. This is what it's supposed to be like. It's the most normal thing about the holidays that I've seen on this island yet."

He does not want to do this. "God, I don't want to be here."

Now Danny's laughing at him. "Nobody wants to be here. That's what Christmas shopping on Black Friday is all about." He's pointing toward the store. "Head over there and let me out. I'll go in and get us started. You find a parking spot and come in when you can."

"When I can…. When will that be, next week?"

"Geeze, just relax and employ some of that SEAL know-how, would you? Think of this as, I don't know—a search and seizure mission or something."

"What?"

"You. SEAL. Searching for a parking spot and seizing the target. I know you can do it."

Steve shakes his head. "What you think you know about some things is frightening."

"Just get your parking karma on and then meet me by the TVs."

"Parking karma." Steve doesn't even try to suppress the groan that leaks out. "I hate this so much."

"Of course you hate it. Everybody hates it. It's all part of Christmas tradition," Danny says with a smirk and slips out of the truck.

It's going to be a long day, Steve thinks, not even realizing he's muttering out loud.

The Danny special sure as shit better be worth going through this nightmare.

**

There are check out lines in the store that snake from the registers in the front, all the way to the back of the place. It's insane, really, not that Danny is about to admit that to Steve. He just hopes the man can find them a parking spot. 

He snags a shopping cart from a customer heading out of the store, giving himself silent congratulations because it looks like they're all being used by customers, and then ventures into the deep heart of the place.

Weaving the basket in and around other shoppers, steering best he can what with the cart's one wobbly wheel—and how does that always happen to him, that he gets this same cart no matter which store he shops in—it's truly no easy feat. Definitely not for the inexperienced, but he's a semi-pro at this sort of thing. Hawaii has nothing on the shoppers of New York and New Jersey. This'll be a cinch. 

He'll be in and out of here in no time. Yeah. As long as Steve can get the truck parked somewhere, this'll be easy. 

Smiles to himself as he gets swallowed up into the hoards of shoppers as he makes his way to his goal.

**

There's no parking. None.

In the ten minutes since they got here, he hasn't moved the truck even a foot, still stuck in a lock that is the only aisle he's turned into. He's got to get the hell out of this lane.

Finally, there's a break and he takes his chance. Hopefully the size of his truck will intimidate enough cars and mini-vans to let him through… and fuckety fuck how it is no one is moving at all? How is this even possible?

"You owe me, Danno. You so owe me," he mutters, pushing forward and narrowly missing sideswiping a Ford Fiesta by mere inches only to slam on the brakes in a near hit of rear-ending the back of a Sienna that's stopped to let out a dad plus what looks like a never-ending passel of kids.

The car behind him lays on its horn, like anyone is going anywhere anytime soon, and he frowns into the rear-view at the guy, only to look forward again in time to see the mom in the Sienna flip him the bird.

"Yeah, that's just great," he hisses. "Really. Merry Christmas to you, too."

**

Danny can't fit the cart and himself in the TV area, just too crowded. No matter, not like he has anything in his basket yet, and he shoves it to the side, as out of the way as he can get it, and ventures forth.

Finds the TV Kono's looking to buy for Adam, and oh, yeah. She was right. It's an amazing deal. He pushes forward to find the number off the order tag, looks around for someone to help. A salesperson. Anyone.

He's surrounded by what seems like hundreds of people, but no one who looks like they actually work here. A very large woman in a Santa hat says, 'excuse me' and then all but shoves him sideways, and he's knocked into a man about his height, nearly bowling the both of them over.

"Hey! Watch it, bruddah," the man says, rights himself and gives Danny a hard shove back.

So much for Christmas spirit. So much for get in, buy and get out, too. This is not looking especially propitious. 

Please, God, let Steve find a parking spot.

**

Steve wants to kick something. Somebody. Something and somebody. 

This is insane. "Insane!" he yells to no one in the cab of his truck and to everyone outside of it. 

Slaps the steering wheel and fuck it, the second he's free from the current traffic lock he's in, he's heading to _his_ guy with the deals and figures he'll be able to get there, buy the TV, and get back before Danny's even aware. If it's this bad out here, it's got to be just a completely living hell inside the store.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, this is not how he wanted to spend the morning, especially after he and Danny finally, finally took that step over the line of exposed flesh and damn. Damn it. Damn it all to hell!

He just wants to get back to his place. He just wants to get Danny naked.

**

There are a dozen people surrounding the one sales guy he's found, but no way is Danny backing down now that he's got his eyes on the prize.

He's able to slide and inch and shimmy his way closer to his goal. Slips in and ducks around the lean, towering guy in front of him and oh, yeah, he's almost there. Almost, if he can just edge his way right on up to—a solid expanse of back. Dude's as big as Kamekona.

Now he's trapped behind a human wall, and nowhere near to getting this TV any time soon. He'll never be seen by anyone stuck behind this guy.

This is just not going well. Not going well at all.

**

He's out. Free. Steve blows out a breath of relief. Takes advantage of a break in the tight parking jam and slips into the last lane, ready to bolt for better pastures when he sees it. Sees them.

Back up lights.

Someone's in reverse and pulling out of a parking space here, right here, right now. Right in front of him, and yes! Parking karma at its best.

He creeps forward, slowly rolling into position with the intent to claim the space, but also giving the driver in the car time and room to back it on out. The thrill that goes through him over this is completely nonsensical. He's elated and on a high that is absolutely absurd—and he will never admit this to Danny.

The car pulls out, backing towards him, an SUV that takes up more space than his own truck and he, in turn, backs up just a little bit more to give them room to maneuver. They throw it in drive and move forward, he's right on their heels and minutes—seconds—away from pulling into the spot when out of nowhere, another car zips in ahead of him. To park. In his spot.

What in the hell? "No!" he roars. "Are you kidding me?" 

This is not happening! He's out of the truck in seconds and rushes toward the driver's door. The window's going up just as Steve gets there.

"Seriously, buddy? Are you kidding me? You just took my spot." There's a brief flash of _has it really come to this_ lighting up in Steve's head, but he ignores it because...because…ugh. it's the principle of the thing. Right?

The guy's clearly uncaring, though, barely giving Steve a glance as he sneers out, "So the fuck what? Snooze you lose, so fuck off."

A cloud of smoke fumes from the guy's breath explode around Steve's head—pot and cigarette combined—and Steve back up to takes a deep breath to pull in a little more reason here. Can practically hear Danny's voice in his ears telling him not to haul the guy out of the car and drop him. 

"Look, I was here waiting for the space, you had to have seen me. You took advantage of the car backing my way."

The guy's staring up at him, eyes red rimmed and looking as rough as sandpaper; he's definitely not radiating the cheery Christmas vibe of the season. "I said fuck off."

Steve's fingernails aren't at all long and yet he can feel them cutting into this palms. His jaw is solid and clamped tight and he stands up straight to take another deep, calming breath before leaning back down toward the window.

"Okay. I'm gonna give you another shot at this, so why don't you—"

The guy erupts. "You hard of hearing or somethin'? I said fuck off…asshole!"

That's it. "Yeah, that's not quite right. It would actually be, 'fuck off, Commander'," and he moves to pull out his Five-0 ID when what the hell?

Finds himself on the ground—his ears are ringing and there are bright spots dancing before his eyes—and it's only his ingrained quick reflexes that save him from being run over when the guy's car suddenly roars to life leaving him choking down a lungful of exhaust and burned rubber as the car peels away.

What the hell?

**

"Nightmare," Danny utters. "Pure holiday insanity!" but…he's got it. The TV. It's in his cart, barely, as the box it's in is ginormous and awkward and hard as hell to steer with the cart with one mangled wheel, but damn. He did it! He got it!

He's in the back of the line at the check out, the very back. Deep in the bowels of the store still, but slowly making his way forward toward the light at the end of the tunnel. The end is in sight. Less than fifteen people in front of him, maybe? He's almost there.

Now where the hell Steve is, is anybody's guess.

**

Steve leaps to his feet, eyes glued to the guy's car that's somehow racing away faster than it has a right to given the amount of cars still milling around the place looking for parking. 'Sure,' he thinks with disgust, 'let that guy get a break.'

There's a surge of energy rushing though him and he all but throws himself into the cab of his truck, half falling out again as an intense heat knifes him sharply through the gut when he pulls himself into seat. What the…blood?

There's blood. There's blood because…

Shot. He's been shot. What the fuck?

Palms a hand over his lower left abdomen, presses down and shit, that's a lot of blood, then throws the gear into drive, flips on the lights and tears out after the guy.

**

Phone in hand, Danny tries to get a hold of Steve again and he frowns for the tenth time at the no service message.

Stupid store.

**

Shot. God damn it!

There's blood seeping between Steve's fingers and he presses them even more firmly over the wound while he shifts to steer the wheel with his knee for a second.

He has to slow down behind the line of creeping cars, anyway, so reaches into the glove box looking for something, anything…pulls out a box…

"What is—?" Right. Danny's Christmas present from Grace: a silk Christmas tie. Grace had picked it out and asked him to keep it hidden for her until Christmas. Deep green with an intricate pattern of lighter green holly leaves sprinkled with dark red berries. Danny will love it, sure to wear it for Christmas and, honestly, Steve will admit that for a tie, it is pretty nice looking.

Stares for a half a second with some measure of hesitation because, well, it's from Grace, then…

"I'm so sorry, Gracie," he murmurs, and with one hand, threads the thing into the hole in his gut at the same time he swings the truck to the right and gets out of the parking jam.

The guy shot him while looking for a parking spot to go Christmas shopping, for shit's sake. Shot him.

How in the hell does that happen? Swears he's been shot at during more mundane situations living on this island than all his SEAL missions with their expected danger levels combined. 

This kind of shit never used to happen to him. Half of this has to be Danny's fault.

Danny. Danny's going to kill him, and worse…

He is never going to get the _Danny special_ at this rate.

Where's his phone?

**

Where's Steve?

Danny's been standing in front of the store, one hand bracing the massive TV that's threatening to topple over the entire cart, the other hand calling Steve again on his cell. No answer.

Is it so hard to ask that Steve be where he's supposed to be? So hard to think Steve would be sitting out front, truck at the ready to load up Kono's TV so they can get back to Steve's and on to better things?

"You are so not going to get the Danny special, oh hell no," he scowls, shoving his phone back into his pocket as he peers out over the crowd of shoppers weaving in and around the sea of cars, hoping to catch a glimpse of that testosterone-fueled truck.

"Danny!"

He turns. What? "Chin?"

It is Chin yelling out the window as his red Mustang cuts through the crowd and pulls right into a suddenly empty parking spot in front of the store—the only front row spot not specified for the handicapped. 

Danny's hallucinating, is what this is. Blinks his eyes and tries again. "Chin?" He's feeling a bit like he's now on another planet. What is going on?

"Danny, hold on."

"Hold on? Hold on for what? What are you doing here? What's—" Okay, this is crazy. He needs answers. Now. "Chin, what are you doing here?"

Chin yells back something that Danny can't quite make out. What the hell?

He's about to ask what, exactly, Chin did say when Chin runs off to show his badge and ID to some store guy, directing him to take the TV away and do something with it until they get back and Danny's head's now going to officially explode. For real. 

"Danny." Chin's finally turned to him. "Come on. We need to go."

"Go. Okay. Okay." Points to Chin's chest. "You. Back it up just a second because it sounded like you said… No, I'm hearing things, right? I mean, how are you even here?" 

He glances at the TV being carted away. Glances to Chin's car at the same time Chin starts pulling him toward it by his shirt.

There are a million things running through Danny's head. It's all very surreal. "How'd you know where I was?" Looks at Chin's car parked in the front row. "How'd you get that spot?" 

"Parking karma," Chin replies very matter-of-factly, like that's all there is to it. Jogs around to slip into the driver's seat after he pretty much leads Danny into dropping into the passenger side.

"Parking karma. You sound like—wait. Is this a case? We have a case?"

"No, Danny. It's Steve."

Okay, what? Danny feels completely detached from reality as Chin steps on the gas, barreling their way through the chaos that is the Black Friday shopping day. People and cars part like the Red Sea.

What the hell is happening here? This doesn't make any sense. "Chin, for shit's sake. What the hell is going on? How is anything Steve, he's back there looking for parking." 

"Steve got shot, Danny."

"Okay, just a sec—what?"

"Something in the parking lot, I don't know. But yeah. Steve got shot."

"Shot."

Chin's nodding, and in a way Danny feels a sense of relief because as calm as Chin can be under pressure, if it was bad, really bad—if Steve were in any sort of really serious trouble—Chin wouldn't sail along this even-keeled. Right?

"Yeah. Shot." Chin shakes his head. "He called me and—"

"Wait, what? He called you?" Danny grabs his own phone and stares at it.

"Yeah, well," Chin says. "He said he couldn't get through to your phone."

"My phone?" Oh, right. Wasn't getting service inside. He's starting to feel a little numb. It's weird. "No service in the store."

"That's what Steve said he thought. See you got the TV okay. Kono's gonna be thrilled, brah."

"Yeah, it wasn't so bad." Never mind that. Danny's head is reeling, spinning. Shot. How the hell? "So what—how did Steve get shot? Doesn't make any sense."

Chin's speeding through the streets and Danny recognizes the route to the hospital.

"Tell me he's okay." There's a thread of underlying panic there, he can feel it building, but then again, if Steve was making calls, it couldn't be that bad.

"He's okay, Danny. Really." Chin slows down through the next turn. "Not sure what happened, just that he called to say he was driving himself to the ER. Asked me to pick you up at the store."

This is impossible. "Did you just say he's driving himself to the ER?" Of course. Of course Steve would get shot and then drive his bullet-ridden self to the emergency room.

"He's not bullet-ridden. I think it's just the one bullet."

Oh. "Did I say that out loud?"

"Danny," and he can hear the gentle concern softening his name. "He's gonna be fine."

"Okay." Nods. Tries to dismiss the running snapshot of horrific Steve images running through his head. He's seen the man bloody so many times it's not hard for his brain to put together a slideshow.

That has to be a good sign, though, that Steve is able to drive himself. Moronic and so very Steve, but a good sign. He's taking it that way, anyway.

Still, it doesn't answer the question of how it all happened in the first place. How did Steve get shot? Who gets shot going Christmas shopping? Danny's heart calms to a more sedate beat and he takes a deep breath in and slowly lets it out, trying to blow out his heightened anxiety along with it.

"You okay there?" Chin looks concerned but Danny waves him off with an, "I’m good."

"You sure? You're kind of making some weird noises."

He is? "Sorry. No, I'm good. Really. Just trying to figure out how the hell McGarrett goes Christmas shopping for a television, and ends up with a bullet hole instead." Looks at Chin. "I mean, what could he have possibly done to have irritated someone enough to have it come to that?" Thinks for a second himself. Thinks of just who it is they're talking about. "You know what? Never mind."

**

The nurses have been great, a constant stream in and out of his hospital room, and Steve can't help but grin at them as they continue to rotate in and out to check on him.

At the moment, he feels good. At the moment, he's not feeling much pain. At all. Has already gotten up to use the head and been yelled at for it. Twice. Still, he doesn't feel all too bad. Nothing hurts so much that he feels like he needs to stay in bed.

Feels good, like he said. Great, even.

"Oh my god. What have you done? Only you could do this to me at Christmas!"

Funny how all the air in a room can get sucked out—or maybe it's just getting sucked out of him, because there he is. Danny. All hustle and bluster as he fills the room with his constant words and flailing hands and huge presence, and Steve wouldn't have it any other way.

Steve sees Chin slip in behind Danny, a small smile on his face as Steve catches his eyes and grins back.

"You're smiling? Why. Why are you smiling?" Danny says which just makes Steve smile even wider. 

"How you doin', brah?" Chin says as he leans past Danny, but Danny's shushing him. Waving Chin down and pushing forward instead.

"Never mind that, how the hell do you have this happen, huh? Explain that to me, I really want to know."

God, Danny can get loud when he's frazzled, and he's practically in his face as he's hovering near the bed. Steve leans over a bit to look past Danny as he talks, instead, to Chin. "I'm fine, Chin, thanks for asking." Shares a look with Chin that tells him of Danny's state of mind, and then Danny's leaning in even closer, too, face filling his sightline as he starts in again.

"No, no. You're fine? You're not fine. You're shot. Being shot is not being fine, strange as that obviously is to you."

"It's okay, Danny. I'm okay."

"Okay. Don't do that. Do not do that. Don't act like this is nothing. You got shot. How did you even get shot? How the hell could you get shot, in a parking lot… Going Christmas shopping! I don't get it, I don't. I really don't. What did you do, huh?"

"What did _I_ do?" He's about to tell him but can see in Danny's eyes that he's not quite done with the tirade. It's sweet in a way, that Danny's concerned enough to be exploding in this manner for this long, and he settles back a bit because he's feeling a little sleepy now and kind of detached, and is thinking it's like watching a story unfold in a reality TV show kind of way.

"I mean, really. What could have possibly happened, huh, Steve? How do you go from looking for a parking place to getting shot?" 

Danny's eyes are big and bright and oh, so blue right now. It makes Steve just want to fall into them and he blinks to try and sharpen his focus. God, these meds they gave him are pretty excellent. Can't help the smile on his face.

"You're smirking now. Hello? Are you even listening to me?"

"'m list'ning," he says, and it's entertaining, really, watching Danny work himself into a lather. His lips don't feel quite right. They're kind of…bouncy. Thick. Thick and bouncy.

"Bouncy. Okay, whatever that means. Seriously, Steve. Tell me, because I really don't get it. How this happens."

Gathers himself together. "Well, I was waiting for a parking spot, like you told me to do. Then I got shot. Now I'm here." There's really not much more to tell, he thinks. And smiles again.

"That's it? That's all I get?"

"I can give you more," Steve answers. "All festive."

There's finger snapping near his head. He wishes it would stop.

"Focus here, please. Did you get a tag number by any chance?"

Steve opens his eyes on a blink. "Yeah," he says with another slow blink, and then holds up his arm.

Danny's now squinting at him, at his arm, like he's examining evidence. "Are you shitting me? You carved it into your flesh? With what, a—"

"Key. My key. S'all I had." Floating. He feels like he's floating. He is floating. And sleepy. Feels good.

"Kono's already picked up the guy," Chin is saying from a mile or so over his head. "Was high as a kite."

"He's not the only one," he hears Danny chime in before Chin starts again.

"Anakoni 'KK' Kelea. Forty-two. Says he doesn't remember a thing about even being in the parking lot. Guy's got a long rap sheet of stupidity."

"You talked to him yet," Danny's asking Chin and he knows he hears Chin answer back, but he's now having a kind of hard time following along.

There are voices, Danny's voice still in the middle of it all, because he'd know that voice anywhere. Hears it in his head even when the man's not around, but now it's swirling all around him. Danny's voice and other people's voices, then….

"They're kicking us out now, Steve." Pretty sure that's Chin. "So we'll see you later."

A hand is on his thigh. Rubbing. Probably not Chin—and he can hear words, just isn't registering them so well.

"Ah, so listen. I'll be here when you wake up, okay? You rest and do what they tell you, as hard as that is for you, I know, and then I…" and he's having an even harder time hearing Danny's voice as it's dropped to a much softer, deeper level, unusual for Danny…

Who's still talking. "Don't think I forgot about, you know, the thing."

"Yeahhh," Steve breathes out as the world around him fades to gray... "Special." And then black.

**

"Six weeks, Steven. I distinctly and specifically heard your doctor say six weeks before any sort of physical activity of any kind."

"Danny." He's been trying to crowd Danny into a corner to get hands on him since the man walked into his house, and Danny has just as easily been eluding him at every turn. 

"No, really. His call, not ours, right? He's the doc an all. Asked me to make sure you adhered to his guidelines to get you back on your feet. I mean, what can I do about that? What do you want me to do about that?" Danny says with a smile. A cheesy, shit-eating-grin that's more smirk than smile and it's all pretty much making Steve nuts because he knows Danny's teasing the shit out of him mostly because he can.

Now that they've pushed a bit past this whatever this is between them—it's like a drug and he wants more. An addiction. Now that he's home and doing fine, he wants, and he wants now. And it's not just about the sex…except right now. Right this second, it kind of is.

So, yeah. Danny's really just giving him shit, he knows this, but still. "Are you kidding me? You know what I want you to do."

"Not my rules, though, right? I didn't write 'em, I only enforce 'em," Danny answers then sweeps by with a quick brush of the lips as he passes.

Steve can just _feel_ the smirk on the man's face, even as he's looking at the back of his head. "Danny," he says again because clearly Danny is not paying attention. Or is, but just finds this all amusing. "It's been almost six weeks now."

Now he's getting the pointy finger back in his face along with Danny's admonishment. "Ah, no. I do not believe that is quite accurate."

"Okay," Steve concedes, "Five weeks—"

"Four and a half."

"Okay, four and a half," he says, following Danny's back. "But only one and a half less than—"

"Prescribed."

"Danny." That was not a whine. That was _not_ a whine.

"Are you whining?" Danny's wandering around the kitchen, taking platters out and wine and then stopping at the refrigerator and helping himself to a beer. "And as much as I like the sound of it—my name that you keep saying—it doesn't help your case."

This is ridiculous. "Case? What case? I don't have a case, I just have—" 

"A house full of people about one hour away from showing up at your door for a little New Year's celebration."

The smirk hasn't left Danny face and Steve watches as he taps the counter with his beer bottle, takes a huge swig and then struts that ass on out of the kitchen. Laughing as he says, "C'mon, Commander. We've got work to do before this impending gathering."

He laughs himself, shaking his head. Six weeks to full activity. God, the next week and a half is gonna crawl by at a snail's pace.

**

Danny's had too much to drink, he knows this, has known it for a while now—specifically the last half hour when everything started to blur. Or double. Or waver a bit…but fuck it. He doesn't have Grace tonight…and it's New Year's Eve.

He and Steve shared quite the kiss when the clock hit midnight and rang in the New Year—and okay, they'd snuck themselves into the privacy of the kitchen to do it because he's not yet sure he wants to announce to the world that they're whatever they are with each other together. And Steve just has issues in general, 'nuff said there…

But it's all good. Great. Was great, that kiss. Sweetly intense with the promise of so much more, he thinks as he traces a slow finger along the line of his lower lip, the feel of Steve's tongue pushing into his mouth fresh in his mind. Best start to a new year he's had in, well, years.

They're together now, though, he thinks. Together-together…and together, as in shoulder to shoulder. He and Steve. Him and Steve. Steve and him. Both of them…standing at the door, still waving goodbye to Chin and Leilani as they head out along with Kono and Adam, who are the last to leave.

Well, besides himself. He hasn't left. Because he's not leaving.

Kono is gorgeous as always. So is Adam, for that matter. Tall and pretty and tall...

"Thanks, Danny," Adam says with a wink. "You're pretty good looking yourself."

What?

"Hey now, gotta watch it there," Kono leans down with a wink and a smile as she whispers to him, "Too many beers and your slip starts showing, Danny."

What?

An arm snakes around his waist, and then Steve is pulling him back and away and closing the front door after final goodbyes are said.

"C'mon," Steve says, "I think it's time to head to bed."

"Now that—that—that is definitely the first smart thing I've heard you say in years." Which is exactly what he says to Steve as he snags his beer with one hand while Steve slowly heads them up the stairs. 

"Uh-huh."

"Smart. You're a smart man, sometimes. You." His legs feel a bit wobbly, like the room is off-kilter. "These steps always been this high like this? 'cause they feel like they're taller than they used to be."

"Uh-huh."

"I mean, really, though. Some of the stuff you say is just so, so...you know what I mean, right? But that—that thing about the bed is just…I think I need to make a pit stop."

"Uh-huh."

Danny makes it to the bathroom and does what he came for, then splashes cold water on his face because he has a feeling he's a bit more—way more, maybe-- tipsy than he might have first thought.

Four and a half weeks gone by.

Close enough, right?

**

Steve's grinning as he peels back the duvet on the bed. Danny at his best exudes energy. Get the man half-lit and he's almost like a—

"Oof." Hit from behind, he grabs Danny behind him and then rolls them onto the bed, shifting to suddenly be looking down at Danny. Wearing a tie. The Christmas tie. And not much else. Nothing else, actually, now that he looks a little closer.

Just the tie.

"Happy New Year," Danny says, grinning up at him and Steve can't help but smile back. Danny smells like beer and whatever the sweet, bright green drinks were that Kono had made and had been plying them all with—and toothpaste.

It's all making for an interesting combination, Steve decides, and he eases up a bit, to gaze at even more Danny. All of him. "Nice outfit."

"Yeah? Wanted to wear something special." Danny fingers the ends of the tie. "I got it for Christmas, you know."

"I know that."

"From my baby. And it saved your life."

"I know that, too." Steve grabs the tie, wrapping a turn around his fist and lightly pulls on it, bringing Danny up until they're nose to nose. Mouth to mouth. Kissing. "Even got my blood out of it. Mostly."

"I'm kinda drunk."

"I also know that."

"And I'm going to blow you."

"That, I didn't know," Steve says and that's all it takes. Well that and Danny's hands that are already tracing a path down along his chest, over his hip and then tucking into his now unzipped fly to grab and wrap around his now hard—really just so really rock hard—cock.

He groans or moans or makes some noise he hasn’t made in forever and it doesn't really matter because they're flipping over again so he's now on his back with Danny all but shimmying down over him, flesh to clothes and god, that hand working him…fuck how awesome that feels…

"Danny," he draws out, eyes closing and wanting to ride this for as long as he can which isn't going to be very long at all at this rate.

Just knowing Danny's naked all over him and that he's still dressed. Mostly dressed. The idea alone is enough to make him come—there's something just filthy dirty about the idea—never mind the actuality of it all. Props himself up on elbows and watches, wanting to take it all in and Danny taking him all in.

"What about—" he starts, eyes closing as Danny's tongue does something wholly sinful… "What about the six weeks?" and what a shame he asked because now Danny's letting go to answer and that is so not what he intended when he posed the question. Shut up, McGarrett.

"Am I hurting you?"

"No," he rushes out, breath catching with every slow swipe of slick palm as Danny keeps the rhythm going with his fingers and thumb. "No, no hurt. Feels good. Good hurt. Keep…" he waves his hand in a continue on kind of way. "I'm…yeah…" That tongue is back and the lips and the tongue again, and Danny keeps on with the suction and the pull and does something with his lips and tongue and teeth that's making Steve arch right the fuck up off the bed.

"Danny, hey. I'm about to—" Saying it pushes him toward doing it, and in the next second when his eyes catch Danny's eyes looking up at him, he does come, lust and desire and something so intensely intense he can't yet define it all rushing through him at the same time.

Danny crawls up to him just as the aftershocks set in, that tie still hanging around his neck. "Off. Clothes. Take 'em off." Danny's pulling and pawing at Steve's shirt and pants and it's all Steve can do go gather the energy to start unbuttoning and shimmying free. 

Then they're flesh to flesh, shifting to get under the covers and half sharing the same pillow as they flop down together in a mass of naked and exhausted skin.

Danny's grinning, eyes half-mast and still looking pretty well lit.

Steve can't help but give him a soft smile. "So, Danny special?"

"From the holiday selection." He still sounds pretty drunk, too. 

Steve laughs. He's drowsy and sated and couldn't ask for a better start to the New Year. Pulls Danny toward him and cups a hand around an ass cheek, squeezing hard. "So there's more?"

"'Mmm," Danny mumbles. "You'll love St. Patrick's Day."

"Leprechans?"

"No, just me. Chasin' a pot o' gold." Danny shifts a bit, clearly fading fast. "So tired, but you're so comfy, and I'm never moving. Ever. Ever-ever-ever."

Steve presses lips to Danny's head and closes his eyes, feeling good as his heart rate slows, and he settles in with his arm around Danny, fingers threading through Danny's hair. "Think I…might like to try out this entire calendar of yours. Months, weeks and days."

"Tha's a whole year...." Danny's whispering now, his words soft and hushed and tickling over Steve's chest.

"And it's just now beginning," Steve says, his breathing starting to even out to match Danny's as they say goodbye to the old year, and begin the new.

End.


End file.
